Submarine boat.



PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

H. O. BIANE. SUBMARINB BOAT. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1904.

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed September 12, 1904:- Serial No. 224,105.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HALVOR O. EIANE, of the United States Navy, acitizen of Norway, stationed at San Francisco, in the county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Submarine Boats, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in submarine vessels or thosecapable of traveling at will either beneath or on the surface of thewater. Its main objects are to provide a vessel or boat of thischaracter which will be capable of a wide range of action, being quicklyturned about in either direction and easily and quickly raised orlowered, which will necessitate a minimum intake of water for purpose ofsubmergence, which will enable the replenishment of the air-supply fromthe surface when submerged, and which will have a novel form of closurefor the torpedotubes.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved vessel with part broken away to show the operation of therudders'and of the air-tube. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectionof the vessel. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on line 00 m of Fig.1.

A represents the hull of my vessel, which in shape is suggestive of agreat fish. It is more nearly round in cross-section and has gracefullytapered extremities and is provided with the hydroplanes 2, which extendlengthwise and about centrally on each side of the hull.

The propellers 3 instead of being located at the stern are on eitherside and are carried and protected by the hydroplanes, which latter arehollow to support the crank-cases 4:.

The interior of the vessel is constructed with the usual compartmentsand fitted with suitable motive power to operate the propellers. It isalso ballasted in a manner best designed to preserve its equilibrium,whether beneath or on the surface.

Suitable guides, as 5, are formed in or onthe walls of the cavities orrecesses of the planes 2, and the cases e have corresponding guides toengage the guides 5 and prevent either lateral or longitudinal movement.

A case 4 incloses two crank-shafts 6 7, each having, respectively, apair of cranks 8 9, the

cranks of each pair disposed at right angles to one another, and thecranks on one shaft connecting with corresponding cranks on the othershaft by means of the connecting-rods 10. The ends of the crank-shaftare suitably journaled in the sides of the crank-case. Shaft 6 isdetachably connected with a propellershaft 11, while shaft 7 has itsends adapted to be similarly connected with the engine or motor shaft12. The respective shafts are shown as having abutting flanges 13,adapted to be bolted together. The crank-cases are each flanged, as at14:, to permit them to be bolted to the inside of the vessel andsecurely held in position. By looseningthe bolts holding a crank-case tothe side of the vessel and detaching the crank-shafts 6 7 from therespective shafts 11 12, the entire case may be withdrawn at any timeand access had to the cranks for any reason.

The case has a central web or partition 15, which serves as a bearingfor each shaft 6 7 between their several cranks and also operates as abrace to support the hydroplanes against collapse, as when the boat issubmerged and the external pressure of the water becomes very great. Thetwo ends of the crankshafts 7 are separately connected up with a sourceof power, so as to be driven either by electric motors 12 or gas orother engines 12.

The disposition of the propellers at either side in the manner shownenables the application of power midway of the ship to propel it, backit, and to turn it about very quickly and in a very small compass.

The steering is done by two sets of rudders 16 17. The rudder 16 beingdisposed in a horizontal plane is for purposes of descension andascension. The regular steering-rudders 17, of which there are two, aredisposed in a vertical plane one above and one below the hull and bothmounted and turnable in unison on the rudder-stock 18. Normally theseveral rudders and the hydroplanes would be submerged.

Any suitable form ofgear may be employed to operate the rudders. I havesimply shown the stock of rudder 16 as having a forward projection 19,to which are connected the chains 20, passing around pulleys 21. Thechains connect with the rods 22, which run in suitable stufiing-boxes inthe bulkhead 23. The rods 22 are reciprocated by any suitable power wellknown in the art and controlled from any convenientpointon the vessel.The stock 18 of rudders 17 works in suitable water-tight boxes in thehull and is operated within the vessel in the usual manner.

24 is the conning-tower.

25 represents an arm of considerable length fulcrumed in suitablewater-tight boxes in the deck or upper portion of the boatand adaptedwhen the vessel is submerged to a depth of six or eight feet, more orless, to be elevated and to admit of the maintenance of acirculation ofair between the interior of the vessel and the upper atmosphere. Thisarm has two longitudinal channels 26 27, one for the intake of fresh airand the other for the egress of air from the vessel. These passages areadapted to communicate through the pivots 28 of the arm withcorresponding ports 29 30 in the walls of the pivots, against which thepivots have a snug fit. The passages in the pivots and the respectiveports 29 30 are disposed eccentric in relation to the axes of thepivots, but are so arranged that they register when the arm standsupright or nearly so. At all other positions communication throughchannels 26 27 with the interior of the vessel is cut off, so that thevessel may be submerged to a depth greater than the length of the armand still not allow access of any water to the interior. Port 29communicates with a suitable suction apparatus 31, by which air may bedrawn into the vessel and thence distributed as wanted. An exhauster oraspirator 32 acts to withdraw the foul air from the vessel and expel itthrough'port 30 and passage 27 when said port and passage are incommunication.

The raising and lowering of the arm may be effected by a variety ofways. A convenient means for the purpose is afforded by pro- Viding thelower end of the arm with a segmental rack 33, engaging a worm 34. Byturning the worm in one direction or the other the arm is raised orlowered at will.

Like most vessels of its class, this one is provided with a torpedo-tube35 at the bow opening under water. Except during the time of dischargeof the torpedo the tube must be closed to prevent ingress of water tothe vessel. Various styles of torpedo-tube closures and modes ofoperating them are in vogue; but I have devised the following simple,strong, and easily-operated closure:

36 37 represent two jaws pivoted, as at 38, on each side of the vesselclose to the mouth of the tube 35 and adapted when closed to foldA-shaped over the end of the tube and approximately in continuation ofthe lines of the vessel. For this purpose their adjacent faces are linedwith rubber or equivalent, as indicated at 39, which seats close overthe tapered edges of the mouth of the tube and makes a perfect sealagainst ingress of water to the tube.

A bulkhead 40 closes off a small compartment from the rest of thevessel. The jaws have crossed slotted projections 41 behind their pivotsextending into this compartment and on either side of the tube. Theparts 41 are pivoted together in their slots, and a rod or rods 42extend from these pivots through Water-tight boxes in the bulkhead 40and connect to a ring or sleeve 43 on the tube. A

reciprocation of ring 43 causes the opening.

and closing of the jaw-closures 36 37. To reciprocate the ring, I haveshown a forked lever 44, fulcrumed. at 45 and operated by any suitablemeans, as the compressor 46.

With a vessel of this construction, having the centrally-disposedlongitudinally-extending hydroplanes on each side, together with thehorizontally-arranged propellers, the vertical movements of the vesselmay be easily controlled and ascension or descension quickly effectedwith the requirements of a minimum intake of water in submerging, sincewith powerful propellers the side planes and horizontal rudder may bemade to cooperate to force the vessel downward.

Initial submergence may be effected as well as continued submergen cemaintained to a certain extent by the propellers even against thenatural tendency of the vessel to stay on the surface, the depth ofsubmergence being regulated by the horizontal rudder.

The shell of the vessel would preferably be of metal and the hydroplaneswould be extended outward horizontally beyond the compartments for thecrank-cases in the form of thin fiat stiff blades.

It is obvious that the invention is capable of embodiment in a varietyof forms without departing from its principle, and I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the particular structure or form hereindescribed and illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a submarine boat or vessel, the combination of a hull,laterally-disposed hydroplanes beneath the surface of the water,propellers arranged at the sides of the vessel, said hydroplanes beingchambered and removable crank-cases in the chambers of said hydro planesand accessible from inside the hull, connections between saidcrank-cases, the propellers and a source of power.

2. The combination in a submarine boat or Vessel of a hull,laterally-disposed hydroplanes having chambers extending beyond thelines of the hull, removable crank-cases in said chambers, propellers ateach side of the hull, propeller-shafts therefor, a crank-shaftin eachof said crank-cases, detachable connections between said crank-shaftsand their respective propeller-shafts, and connections between saidcrank-shafts and a source of power.

3. In a submarine boat or vessel, the combination of a propelling andsteering means, of an air-tube pivoted in the body of the vessel, meansfor causing said tube to stand at various angles relative to the axis ofthe vessel, and air-passages in said tube connecting through water-t1ghtconnections with the 1nterior of the vessel.

4. In a submarine boat or vessel, the combination with suitablepropelling means of an air-tube having a plurality of air-passages extending longitudinally through it, said tube pivoted in the body of thevessel, connections between the air-passages of the tube and theinterior of the vessel, and means for turning said tube about itspivots.

5. In a submarine boat or vessel, the combination with suitablepropelling means of an air-tube having a plurality of air-passagesextending longitudinally through it, said tube pivoted in the body ofthe vessel, connections between the air-passages of the tube and -theinterior of the vessel, means for turning said tube about its pivots,said means including a segmental rack on the tube and a worm engagingsaid rack.

6. In a submarine boat or vessel, the combination with suitable steeringand propelling means of an air-tube pivoted in the vessel and adapted tobe projected outwardly from the vessel, said tube having a plurality ofairpassages, and a plurality of air connections and valved connectionsthrough the pivots of the tube between said air-passages and theinterior of the vessel.

7. In a submarine boat or vessel having suitable propelling and steeringmeans of a torpedo-tube opening beneath the surface of the water, aclosure for the mouth of said tube, said closure comprising a pair ofhinged, oppositely-operating jaw-plates having rearward extensions, andmeans engaging said extensions for operating the said jaw-plates inunison from the interior of the vessel.

8. In a submarine boat or vessel having suitable steering and propellingmeans, a torpedotube and a closure for the outer end of said tube, saidclosure comprising two plates hinged at opposite sides of the vessel andhaving rearward extensions, said plates adapted to close over the end ofthe tube, and means engaging said. extensions for operating said platesin unison.

9. In a submarine boat having suitable steering and propelling means, atorpedo-tube opening at the prow ot' the vessel, a closure for saidtube, said closure comprising two hinged jaws cooperating to fold overthe end of the tube, said jaws having rearward extensions, and means foroperating said extensions from the interior of the vessel to open andclose the jaws simultaneously.

10. In a submarine boat having suitable steering and propelling means, atorpedo-tube opening at the prow of the vessel, a closure for said tube,said closure comprising two hinged jaws cooperating to fold over the endof the tube, said jaws having slotted crossed rearward extensions, andmeans for operating said extensions from the interior of the vessel toopen and close the jaws simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HALVOR O. EIANE.

Witnesses:

HENRY P. TRIooU, S. H. Nounsn.

